Style. It's Time to Think Spring

Lauren Dimet Waters for Second City Style Magazine Admit it. You are sick of winter too. Never fear. Spring 2008 is looking a lot more colorful. Designers veered from black in favor of vibrant colors, bold patterns, luxurious transparent fabrics, ethnic prints and pressed khaki. 1. Bold Colors It doesn’t matter if it’s pastel or …

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Milan Fashion Week Spring '08. The Retail Buyer's Verdict. Second City Style Fashion Blog

6267
6267

Even though the strong euro made it ridiculously expensive, the pace was impossibly fast (shortened to 4 days)and the weather grim,
retailers left Milan in high spirits thanks to a gust of fresh,
colorful and feminine fashions, according to WWD.

Collectively, buyers said they welcomed a
shift from overt hard-edged sexiness to something softer and more
romantic, with lots of floral prints and artistic touches. Praised were collections
by Dolce & Gabbana, Jil Sander, 6267, Marni, Fendi, Prada and
Versace. Ethnic-themed prints, transparency and
full skirts of all lengths were cited among key trends.

"I’m
very, very positive for the spring-summer season. It’s luxury, it’s
feminine, it’s colorful — bravo!" enthused Sarah Rutson, fashion
director at Hong Kong-based Lane Crawford.

Dolce_dress Dolce & Gabbana

"I thought
Milan reconfirmed fashion at its best. Usually when there are a lot of
ruffles, chiffon and florals, it can end up being too saccharine, but
it’s not like that this season," added Ann Watson, vice president and
fashion director of Henri Bendel. "Many designers mastered restraint
and in doing so showed how sexy the power of suggestion can be."

Here’s what other retailers had to say:

Ken Downing, senior vice president and fashion director at Neiman Marcus

"There’s
a bold color statement coming out of Milan, with turquoise looking the
newest, plus all the pretty pastels. At Versace, those draped Grecian
dresses came out like a rainbow. We also liked this multicultural,
global referencing, which keeps some embellishment on the clothes.
Another strong message was the hand of the artist: prints that really
looked touched by a brush or had an artisanal feel."

Downing also highlighted floaty dirndl skirts, multiple layers of
sheer, lightweight fabrics and colorful patent leather accessories.
Standout collections included 6267 for "redefined modern femininity"; a
"bold and exhilarating Jil Sander"; Marni; Versace and Fendi, which was
"intelligent, yet feminine and sophisticated."

Versace
Versace

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